I recently heard from an involuntary single woman who said that her soon to be ex-husband hadn’t taken more than 4 days off his 80-hour work week as a trial lawyer in over a year. Then he left their long, mostly-happy marriage by saying, “You can’t make me happy any more.”

I told her that her husband was right. No one else can make you happy, because that’s a job you do for yourself. I told her I know the heartache he caused because he wasn’t aware of this happiness principle nor something equally important:

You can suffer physical burnout of your adrenal glands, if you consistently work 80 hour weeks in a stressful job like being a trial lawyer. If you don’t take some time to relax and recharge each day and each week, then you may suffer physical, emotional, spiritual burnout, and you may mistakenly blame your spouse for your own unhappy state of adrenal fatigue.

Why is relentless stress so dangerous?

Whether you’re running away from a mountain lion in “flight or fight stress,” or you’re experiencing daily mental and physical stress at work, you produce dangerous stress chemicals that surge through your body until they’re metabolized. This takes longer when you produce a fresh daily supply under intense daily stress, and it can be even more dangerous when you combine it with caffeine, sugar, alcohol or a sedentary lifestyle.

Are you wondering if it’s really possible for adrenal glands to burn out?

Brain expert, Dr. Daniel Amen, says it’s not only possible but far more common that you can imagine. What are the symptoms and treatment?

Dr. Amen reveals 11 symptoms of adrenal burnout. If you relate, it’s time to seek support: